Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
He lifted his head with a lazy grin and touched my bottom lip, stroking it. “What was that for?”
“For being you. And all that—” I indicated the tables “—pouring water, being charming. Helping me.”
He shook his head. “Your ex has a lot to answer for. That’s what people in love do, Quinn. They help each other.” With that word bomb, he dropped his head and kissed me again. “I’m going to get Clint to make me a sandwich and head out. I’ll see you in a bit.”
He walked away, and I stared after him.
Did he know what he’d just said?
Did he mean it?
I shook my head to clear it.
I’d have to find out later.
Right now, I had a restaurant to run.
JOHN
Abby looked up, squinting. I reached down on the floor and plunked a straw hat on her head. She giggled. “Now I’m a cowboy!”
“Not a cowboy. A farmer,” I corrected. “A junior one.”
“How come?”
“This is a farm, not a ranch. I have no livestock. No horses.” I explained at her confused look. “I grow crops that feed people. It’s important. I like being a farmer.”
“You have cows. And you wear cowboy hats.”
“I wear hats to keep the sun off my face like this.” I tapped the brim of her too-big hat. “And if I were a cowboy, I’d ride a horse, and I’d have hundreds of cattle—not only a few dairy cows.”
“Oh. Okay. I like being a farmer too, then. I really like horses too, but this tractor is cool. Can I steer again?”
“Yep.” I placed her little hands on the big wheel, covering them with mine, and let her “steer” the tractor.
“Farmer John?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you Momma’s serious boyfriend now?”
“Yes, I am.”
“How come?”
“Because I think your momma is incredible. I think you are too. I like spending time with you.”
“My dad didn’t.”
“Your dad is an idiot.” Then I realized what I said and tried to backtrack. “Um, I mean, your dad…”
“…is an asshole,” she finished. “That’s what Momma says. But I can’t say that to people.” She glanced up. “But you’re not people, right? You’re Momma’s. And mine. I like you, Farmer John. You’re big and strong, and you wouldn’t let me be gone.”
“Gone?” I asked, slowing down the tractor. I had a feeling I was going to need to concentrate.
“I heard Dad tell Momma once, if she wasn’t careful, one day I’d be gone, and she’d never find me. That made Momma cry. I kicked him, and he called me a brat and slammed the door so hard the wreath fell off, and the heart Momma had on it broke. That made her cry harder.”
I shut my eyes before I spoke. No wonder Quinn was always on edge, and it explained Abby’s trouble sleeping in new places. I tilted up Abby’s chin. “Listen to me, Pumpkin, okay?”
She nodded.
“Nothing bad is ever going to happen to you. You will never be ‘gone’ from your momma. I won’t let that happen. No one will ever take you away. You are safe here. It’s my job to protect you now. Both of you.”
“What is pro-protect?”
I turned her to look at the field. “You see that big covering in the corner? It’s so hot there, I cover the plants to protect them from the sun so they’re safe. They can grow and be the happiest plants because the sun can’t hurt them.”
“So, you’re the cover?”
“Yes.”
“What happens if you’re not there?”
God, this kid was smart.
“I have little covers everywhere. If they thought you were in danger, they would let me know and protect you and your momma until I got there.”
“Can I see them?”
“You can see them, but you won’t know they’re a cover. It’s better that way.”
“Like fairies?”
I chuckled. “Sort of.”
She sighed. “I like that.”
“So you don’t have to worry anymore.”
She turned, flinging her little arms around my neck. “I love you, Farmer John.”
I hugged her back. “I love you too, Pumpkin.”
She pulled back. “And Momma? Do you love her?”
18
JOHN
Quinn arrived later than planned, but early enough she had a chance to change before we took Abby to her slumber party.
Earlier, after she’d dropped her bombshell of a question, Abby had been distracted when the sprinklers came on suddenly, laughing as the cool water hit us. I cursed as I realized the timer must have malfunctioned, but it did stop me from having to answer her query.
Did I love her momma?
I was pretty certain that I did. It was fast, but it was real. And I knew it was forever.
But I really wanted to tell Quinn first before telling Abby. And I wanted to be sure Quinn was ready to hear it.
But every time I looked at her, every touch and every kiss only confirmed what I had been feeling. Quinn had somehow slipped into my heart without my realizing it, Abby following right behind her. They were a package deal, and I didn’t plan on asking for a refund or any changes.